Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

8 reviews

tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

A beautiful and painful book that demands the reader's full attention. Gyasi doesn't lay things out A then B then C; instead, she gives us a puzzle of C then A then Q and trusts that we as readers are clever enough and paying enough attention to put the pieces together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Child death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Ableism, Drug use, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Bullying, Body shaming, Sexism, Violence, Child abuse, and Animal death

Minor: Medical content, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

abrdoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Sexism, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Excrement, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

kaitlyncookies's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An excellent novel for anyone looking for an honest, nuanced depiction of an individual’s relationship to religion and science.

***

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel told in vignettes that go back and forth between the main character Gifty’s childhood/adolescence and the present day where she is an adult. Because it is non-linear it did take me a bit of time to get into it, but Gyasi’s prose kept my attention. The novel’s structure lends itself well to its subject matter, the grey area of religion and spirituality. 

This novel is very nuanced because the main character’s faith is shaken by a tragedy that lacks the sudden senselessness of a more spontaneous death. Instead Gifty witnesses the drawn out demise that often accompanies addiction. In my opinion this book had a very accurate depiction of a loss of faith, in that it is less like a switch being turned off, but more like a river that over time loses its intensity and may totally dry up in some seasons, or forever. 

Gyasi’s prose feel so honest that this novel reads more like a memoir. The scientific side of this novel was also incredibly realistic and an interesting counterpoint to Gifty’s spiritual upbringing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Bullying

ejs2000's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Bullying, Body shaming, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Racial slurs, Classism, and Child death

Minor: Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, and Racism

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, Cursing, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Classism, Dysphoria, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Bullying, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Animal death, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Blood, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Heavy book. My first Gyasi read and I have to admit that I really liked the writing style: clearly literary, but also direct. I really appreciated the book's nuanced view on depression and addiction, the focus on understanding, not judging.

I also liked the book's perspective on the internal conflicts people who have been brought up in a religious setting face, and in particular how that interacts with the scientific point of view. Coming from a similar place myself I found that part very relatable.

Time to look for Gyasi's other books :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, and Sexism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Violence

Minor: Vomit

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I like this more than Yaa Gyasi's first book, Homegoing. I like the way that the plot and the characterization get uncovered a little bit at a time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Racial slurs, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Sexism, Colonisation, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy

allisoncc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Physical abuse, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content